What Strings Do Everyone Use?

I love DRs. I used to use Sunbeams exclusively, because they feel so nice and sound great. Lately I've been experimenting on coated strings. I ordered a set of Extra Life's and a set of Bootzillas (Both DR) for my Kramer. I tried the Bootzillas first, but while I was putting the E string on, the damn thing snapped. I need to get around to emailing DR about either sending me a new E String, or at least selling me a new one so I don't have to spend another $35 on a new set of strings. Luckily, the Extra Life's went on without a hitch, and I've had those on it for the last few weeks. While they lost a little brightness in the first few days, they have not gotten any duller since. The Sunbeams would be completely dead by this point, so I think the extra $10 was well worth it.

The first set of strings I bought (my first bass came used strung up with D'Addarios) was a pack of RotoSound Swing 66s, .45-1.05. I've tried everything I could get my hands on and those Roto stainless rounds still do the trick for me. I'm interested in using some lighter gauges on certain basses.

The Rotosound nickel strings are pretty badass, too and GHS strings are a close second to Rotos for me. GHS are cheap, plus you can get both Rotos and GHS in a wide variety of gauges, which I like a lot. I'm curious in trying out the Billy Sheehan set of strings (light top heavy bottom--the only such set of bass strings that I know of that are made like that). I prefer light top/heavy bottom over the heavy top/light bottom that most companies make. Seems that doesn't occur to most people. Maybe the difference is all in my mind or something. Probably is.

The thing is, I like to change strings as little as possible, so it's important for me to have strings that age well as opposed to stay bright for a long amount of time. I'm probably just used to the way Rotos feel, sound, and age...and I think they're classy.

An old Ibanez with some Rotos--that's heaven for me. I think different strings fit different basses better than others.

I'm very interested in a set that GHS makes that (I believe) amimbari uses on his nicer basses:

Still light top, but all of it's kinda lighter and different? Sounds pretty cool to me. GHS is the only company that I know of that does that and that intrigues me. I like wacky gauges. I have to make things different!

Last edited by Chowderboots on Wed Apr 08, 2009 4:33 pm; edited 1 time in total

It might be because stainless frets are harder to dress, since they would quickly destroy the filing equipment.

I normally use SFARZO nickel steels, but I broke down the other day and got a set of Rotosound 66's for the first time in a while. I gotta admit that I have missed using them!

Ah yeah figures. That crossed my mind after I had posted that

Steels or nickels, Eric? They are like that, huh? I keep thinking that I've actually found something that I like better for whatever reason. But whenever I come back to Rotos, even if they've been on a bass for 2 years, they just feel right to the sound I hear and feel. And the nickle strings feel just as nice as the steels. I'm glad I tried a set of those. They're cheaper, too.

I don't have a set of strings I normally use. My Seven string fretless has Warwick Black Label stainless strings, and those are pretty nice sounding (goodbye, beautiful Bolivian Rosewood fingerboard ). I used to have nickel Halfrounds on it, but I wanted to use all the same kind of strings on it so I switched.

On my four string with a tremolo I had on D'addario Chromes for a few days, but I didn't like the way they sounded on it (back my Ibanez with them!). I was normally using stainless Rotosounds on it before, but the D and G broke so I'm going to try some Hofner strings if they fit. If not, who knows what I'll use.

And on my upright, I have no clue what strings are on it; the bass came with them. I wish I knew, because they sound great.

Martin, I usually use nickels since they feel more slippery to my hands. But when I slapped on the Roto 66 stainless, it was like being reunited with an old friend, and I was again reminded why I used them for so many years. But there was a phase where they didn't feel or sound the same, and then I learned that diehard, lifelong Roto user Billy Sheehan had also stopped using them for a while, then went back to them. When I asked him about this, he told me that they had made some cost-cutting changes that affected the 66's, and so he explained to them that whatever it was they had done made the quality go down. I didn't learn what those changes were, only that they happened, and he told them it wasn't a good thing. They took his advice, and went back to the old formula. Kind of like what happened when Coca-Cola tried to "improve" the old formula, and soon learned that "new and improved" isn't always "better". So now, Roto 66's are like they have always been.

Martin, I usually use nickels since they feel more slippery to my hands. But when I slapped on the Roto 66 stainless, it was like being reunited with an old friend, and I was again reminded why I used them for so many years. But there was a phase where they didn't feel or sound the same, and then I learned that diehard, lifelong Roto user Billy Sheehan had also stopped using them for a while, then went back to them. When I asked him about this, he told me that they had made some cost-cutting changes that affected the 66's, and so he explained to them that whatever it was they had done made the quality go down. I didn't learn what those changes were, only that they happened, and he told them it wasn't a good thing. They took his advice, and went back to the old formula. Kind of like what happened when Coca-Cola tried to "improve" the old formula, and soon learned that "new and improved" isn't always "better". So now, Roto 66's are like they have always been.

About how long ago was this, man?

Believe it or not, at my young age, I understand totally what you mean about being reunited with them. I decided after a time that Rotosounds weren't what I wanted to use and gave everything else I could find around here a try. After using a set of Ernie Balls (which felt and sounded horrible) , I got a new set of Rotos and I realized what I had been missing. Whatever it is about them, it works for me. The feel so unique...and the look snazzy as hell!

Comparing RotoSound to Coca Cola...now there's a compliment in my book! Except for Coke Zero...I'd rather drink cold piss. That is not soda...

Same thing happened me just this week Martin, about 3 years ago, I had a set of strings on my Traben, and took 'em off after a while, tried all kinds of strings on it, all kinds of tunings, nothing was ever right, just this week, wen't back to 3 years ago, and put a set of what was on it back on, a Roto Jazz Flat set.

What it had was the Steve Harris set, and now its standard flats, in BEAD, like coming home, tone is just what I want from it.

Just got a reply from DR, they're going to send me a new E string for free . Actually, they were very polite about it. I think mentioning that I've used their strings exclusively for the last year out of the 2 years I've been playing helped.

Just got a reply from DR, they're going to send me a new E string for free . Actually, they were very polite about it. I think mentioning that I've used their strings exclusively for the last year out of the 2 years I've been playing helped.

I enjoy DR strings a lot. In my experience, for example, the .45-1.05 are very nice for tuning to D standard and they vibrate really well, but after using a bass with them, Rotos just feel so much better to me. DRs get a little "noodley" after I've had them on for a while, which sometimes feels cool, but they aren't maximum volume, maximum punch like RotoSound or GHS, which is why I prefer other strings, I guess.

I'll bet that some Lo-Riders would feel great on that Kramer of yours, Kugel

yeah, i remember when roto made those changes that eric was talking about. nothing drastic ... but i said to myself one day "i just dont like these anymore."

one day, after using dr's for a while (and getting a lot of that noodle feeling), wanting better strings, having a ken smith string break right out of the pack (@ $30 a set) i went back to a set of rotos (in the new packaging) and found that old friend again. i never new they made any change and just thought it was me untill i just read erics post.

so it would seem by most people's posts that most of you guys dig the roto's. (mee 2)

i would recommend that if you dig the rotos, you shud try a pack of the curt mangan strings and tell me what you think. if anything, i've found them comprable 2 and cause less fret dammage. they last almost as long (that sharp, resonant, "new string" feel) and i just like the fact that i'm supporting a small american shop thats providing a quality product. curt mangan has always given me great presonal customer service.

Whoops! Sorry, Martin! I just now realized you had asked me a question a few days ago. Me and my defective brain!

Since you had experienced the same thing MadMike, maybe you can help me with the time frame. I believe that Rotosound had made changes to their strings sometime in the mid-90's, but I cannot recall exactly when it was. I remember that this coincided with Billy Sheehan suddenly announcing a deal with Snarling Dogs strings, and it was right around this time that I had noticed Roto's weren't the same. And to clarify things, I had noticed something wasn't right before learning that Billy had switched over. I don't want to give the wrong impression that it was something like "well, since Billy has stopped using Roto's, maybe I should, too", because that's not the case. And in fact, I don't believe I ever tried Snarling Dogs even once.

I originally thought that maybe I was imagining things, but when I learned that Billy had stopped using them, along with finding out why, I realized that something had indeed changed. But it wasn't too long afterward that Billy went over to Rotosound in England to give them his opinion, and it was then that they decided to go back to what they had been doing before. Again, I have no clue what exactly had changed, only that the difference was obvious.

To get back on track, you were asking MadMike about Curt Magnans, Martin?

That sounds like about the same time that John Entwistle, the person who helped create the .45, .65, .80, 1.05 set, stopped using them and changed to Maxima Golds. However, by the time of his death in '02, he had begun to use Roto rounds again.

I take pride in using RotoSounds...no one I know uses them. I'm sure there's something cheaper that'd work just as well, but bah...I like the silk ends and the orange packages, I guess

One of the things that I have always liked about Roto's is that you can get them for around $20 a set, which isn't terrible considering what you could pay for bass strings. Of course, you can find super cheap strings for less than this, but they aren't usually of any real quality.

yeah, i'm hoping to go up and visit mike brown at his shop later this summer. he's always been a super nice guy in being patient with my endless questions and asked if i stop by if i'm in the area.

very cool ....................

espically since ken smith is right down the street from me ... and he wont talk to me at all. i understand. i'm not walking in his door with $3000 in my pocket to spend today. people come in my shop and wanna talk and i'll play along, but as soon as i determine they arent gonna spend money ... i am just too busy with other things.

yes, rotos have been $20 a pack since as long as i can remember ... nice!

wow thanks Tommy, I guess I missed this thread from a year ago...I have not bought strings in a year, because back then I had 30 sets left...here's all that remains a year later.so I have had no chance to test anything beyond these.

For me personally, those are funky combos, but I also know of players who prefer such gauges.

My guitarist Andy gave me a couple of old sets of Hartke bass strings to fiddle with, only he had bought them in these light gauges. I think they were 35-55-75-95, or something close to that. I did play on them for a while, and my hnads quickly got spoiled with the low tension. But they don't last too long, and I just slapped on a new set of Roto nickels. And with us embarking on this cover project, I have temporarily pulled off the low B, and replaced it with a standard E.

One of these days, I think I will keep a small army of basses, all strung and tuned differently. And I'm still flirting with getting a sixer. Heck, maybe a four, a fiver AND a sixer!

So Mike, I have heard of Guitar Research strings, but I have never tried them. What's your opinion of them?

for the most part. I got them at 1.00 a pack..they do not last too long before I can see the rust, let's say 3 months compared to a year on 40-50.00 strings, but on all the sets I used so far, never a dud string that could not be intonated, never a dud string unraveling at the end....and I can't say tonewise, since I have them on ALL my junk at the house so I cannot compare them a/b to a 50.00 set of xxx brand strings.

my biggest dilemma is costs when restringing multiple basses, at 40 bucks a set x 10, that's 400.00 in just strings --- can't do it ---

if my basses were ALL high end, then perhaps it would be worth doing something like that...but they aren't.That Jackson C5 I got will need a set, and I'm hoping I can just buy a good 5string set once, and not worry about it for a year....( either that or I will use a 4 string set, and find 1 string for the B only )